Water:
Sydney downpour highlights foolish desalination decision

Greens NSW MP John Kaye today called for the Iemma government to freeze work on the desalination plant in response to heavy rains in the Sydney basin and the chance of good inflows to the catchment.

Media release: 9 June 2007
Dr Kaye said: "The NSW government's desalination plant is looking more and more like a $2 billion white elephant.

"As rain pours down over Sydney, storm water tanks would have been a much cheaper and less environmentally damaging way of securing Sydney’s water supplies.

"If predicted rains fall in the Warragamba catchment today, storage levels will be significantly boosted.

"A winter of storms and good rainfalls would make the desalination plant completely unnecessary.

"The Iemma government's fixation on desalination will have wasted $2 billion.

"Water users are being forced to gamble on the massive Kurnell plant being needed, when they could be putting their money into water tanks and efficient appliances that would give them a long term return on lower water bills.

"Water Utilities Minister Nathan Rees has had long enough in his portfolio to undo the mistakes of his predecessors.

"This weekend would be good time to convene a crisis meeting of his senior advisers, admit that the desalination plant is not needed and work with the community to develop more sustainable and lower risk drought response mechanisms and long term water supply options.

"The public would welcome the honesty of politician admitting an error and working to get it right. Mr Rees would only grow in stature if he had the courage to do this.

"While work continues to proceed on the desalination plant, the government is leaving itself open to a $2 billion headache that will continue to undermine its economic and environmental credentials for years to come," Dr Kaye said.